Geography of the Great Lakes Quiz Introduction Lesson * Map by: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Geography of the Great Lakes

Quiz

Introduction

Lesson

* Map by: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Introduction•Level: K 5-7•Subject: Geography

In this interactive lesson, you will learn to recognize all of the Great Lakes and their geographical locations, as well as some interesting fun facts.

The Great Lakes, in their current state, are actually one of the youngest natural features on the North American continent.

The Great Lakes--Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario--and their connecting channels form the largest fresh surface water system on Earth. If you stood on the moon, you could see the lakes and recognize the familiar wolf head shape of Lake Superior, or the mitten bounded by lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie.

Fun Facts:Spread evenly across the contiguous 48 states, the lakes' water would be about 9.5 feet deep.

All five of the Great Lakes are among the world's 18 largest lakes by area and volume.

The Great Lakes and islands within them have more than 10,000 miles of coastline.Lesson

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The Great Lakes contain the largest supply of fresh water on earth; 20% of the earth's total fresh water; 9,402 miles of shoreline; and 94,710 total square miles of surface area (about the size of Texas). The Great Lakes basin is a 295,200 square mile area within which all surface area drains into the Great Lakes. It includes parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ontario and Quebec.

To remember the Great Lakes names, remember the word "HOMES." H=Huron O=Ontario M=MichiganE=Erie S=SuperiorNext

Slide

Surface Area:  22,278 mi2 / 57,750 km2                                                           

Volume:  1,180 mi3 / 4,920 km3

Length:  307 mi / 494 kmDepth:  279 ft / 85 m average; 925 ft / 282 m maximumShoreline Length:  1,659 miles / 2,670 km (including islands)Elevation:  581 ft / 177 mOutlet:  Straits of Mackinac to Lake HuronRetention/Replacement Time:  99 years

"Uppermost Lake" (French); Kitchi-gummi, a Chippewa Indian translation, signifies "Great Water," or "Great Lake."  A Jesuit name, "Lac Tracy," was never officially adopted.Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes by surface area and volume, and rich in natural resources.

Lake Superior

*Images from: Google Images.

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Surface Area:  22,278 mi2 / 57,750 km2                                                           

Volume:  1,180 mi3 / 4,920 km3

Length:  307 mi / 494 kmDepth:  279 ft / 85 m average; 925 ft / 282 m maximumShoreline Length:  1,659 miles / 2,670 km (including islands)Elevation:  581 ft / 177 mOutlet:  Straits of Mackinac to Lake HuronRetention/Replacement Time:  99 years

Champlain called it the Grand Lac.  It was later named "Lake of the Stinking Water" or "Lake of the Puants," after the people of other nations who occupied its shores.  In 1679, the lake became known as Lac des Illinois, because it gave access to the country of the Indians of that name.  Allouez called it Lac St. Joseph, by which name it was often designated by early writers.  Others called it Lac Dauphine.  Through the further explorations of Jolliet and Marquette, it received its final name of Michigan, Algonquian for "Great Water."Michigan is the third largest Great Lake (although Lake Huron-Michigan, at 45,300 mi2 / 117,400 km2 is technically the world's largest freshwater lake. 

Lake Michigan

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Lake HuronSince its French discoverers knew nothing as yet of the other lakes, they called it La Mer Douce, the sweet or fresh-water sea.  A Sanson map in 1656 refers to it as Karegnondi.Huron is the second largest Great Lake (although Lake Huron-Michigan, at 45,300 mi2 / 117,400 km2 is technically the world's largest freshwater lake.  This is because what have traditionally been called Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are really giant lobes of a single lake connected by the five mile wide Strait of Mackinac.) It has the longest shoreline of the Great Lakes, counting its 30,000 islands

Surface Area:  22,973 mi2 / 59,500 km2

Volume:  850 mi3 / 3,540 km3

Length:  206 mi / 331 kmDepth:  194 ft / 59 m average; 748 ft / 229 m maximumShoreline Length:  3,827 miles / 6,157 km (including islands)Elevation:  581 ft / 177 mOutlet:  St. Clair River to Lake ErieRetention/Replacement Time:  22 years

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Lake ErieSurface Area:  9,906 mi2 / 25,657 km2

Volume:  116 mi3 / 483 km3 Length:  210 mi / 338 kmDepth:  62 ft / 19 m average; 210 ft / 64 m maximumShoreline Length:  871 miles / 1,400 km (including islands)Elevation:  571 ft / 174 mOutlet:  Niagara River and Welland CanalRetention/Replacement Time:  2.6 years (shortest of the Great Lakes)

The greater part of its southern shore was at one time occupied by the Eries, a tribe of Indians from which the lake derived its name.  This name is always mentioned by the early French writers as meaning "cat"; Lac du Chat means "Lake of the Cat."  Many attribute this reference to the wild cat or panther.Lake Erie is the fourth largest Great Lake and is the shallowest and warmest.

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Lake Ontario

Champlain first called it Lake St. Louis in 1632.  On a Sanson map in 1656, it remained Lac de St. Louis.  In 1660, Creuxius gave it the name Lacus Ontarius.  Ontara in Iroquois means "lake," and Ontario, "beautiful lake."Ontario is the smallest in surface area of the Great Lakes.

Surface Area:  7,340 mi2 / 18,960 km2Volume:  393 mi3 / 1,640 km3Length:  193 mi / 311 kmDepth:  282 ft / 86 m average; 804 ft / 245 m maximumShoreline Length:  726 miles / 1,168 km (including islands)Elevation:  246 ft / 75 mOutlet:  St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic OceanRetention/Replacement Time:  6 years

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Do you think you are ready to test your Geographical Knowledge?

Sure!Not yet…

Can you find Lake Superior?

Can you find Lake Huron?

Can you point to Lake Michigan?

Can you point to Lake Erie?

Can you point to Lake Ontario?

You found Lake Superior!

Next Question

You found Lake Huron!

Next Question

You found Lake Michigan!

Next Question

You found Lake Erie!

Next Question

You found Lake Ontario!

Next Slide

Sorry, try again!

Hint: The largest of the Great Lakes by surface area and volume.

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Sorry, try again!

Hint: Since its French discoverers knew nothing as yet of the other lakes, they called it La Mer Douce, the sweet or fresh-water sea.

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Hint: Is connected to the Lake Huron by a five mile Strait.

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Hint: is the fourth largest Great Lake and is the shallowest and warmest.

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Hint: Has the smallest surface area of the Great Lakes.

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Congratulations!You have now mastered Geography of the Great Lakes.

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*basin map from: Great Lakes Atlas, Environment Canada and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1995